Using The Rule of Three In Your Home's Design
Three. The popular number has made its way into every aspect of the world’s culture, from religion to design itself. When thinking of revamping an area or room in your dwelling, the remedy can sometimes largely lie in the simple adherence to this rule and shifting things around accordingly.
The basic idea of the rule: information and objects that appear in threes are more appealing, memorable, and effective than other numbers of objects. Think of spacing in photographs and paintings. Think three-act plays. Religious triptychs. The three kittens who lost their mittens. Beginning, middle, end. Liberte, egalite, fraternite. Go, fight, win. You get the picture.
In design, the rule serves as a tool for building drama and progression in a space. The rearrangement of a grouping of threes can entirely alter flow and aesthetic of a room, and determine the focal point and balance immediately presented to an observer.
This ideabook features a rhapsody on a theme of threes that displays how, as a design tool, the rule in creative variations works, works, works.
The basic idea of the rule: information and objects that appear in threes are more appealing, memorable, and effective than other numbers of objects. Think of spacing in photographs and paintings. Think three-act plays. Religious triptychs. The three kittens who lost their mittens. Beginning, middle, end. Liberte, egalite, fraternite. Go, fight, win. You get the picture.
In design, the rule serves as a tool for building drama and progression in a space. The rearrangement of a grouping of threes can entirely alter flow and aesthetic of a room, and determine the focal point and balance immediately presented to an observer.
This ideabook features a rhapsody on a theme of threes that displays how, as a design tool, the rule in creative variations works, works, works.
Photos & Products
The three sets of French doors creates a centerpoint for the room without overdoing symmetry. The chandelier flares out from the center, creating both a groundedness and lightness in this space.
Here another very similar room seen in the daylight, showcasing the versatility of opening simply one or two sets of doors.
The larger center arch not only accentuates the room's center, but its raised height gives the a loftiness that isn't literally there. The room not only has added depth, but the illusion of added height.
The rule of three effectively applies to furniture. In such an open, spacious room, the choice of matching fabric on the couch and chairs creates a gentle boundary to this sitting area. The couch weighs and grounds one third of the seating area, allowing for more versatility in the smaller armchairs.
This room is kept simple. It needs no embellishment beyond the arched divided ceiling. The shapely window and ceiling gives a simple firmness. Imagine the room with the beautifully-shaped ceiling but without its moulding to divide it into threes. What a touch the rule of three gives here.
What might otherwise become a cluttered below-the-stair work station becomes a savvy space with the rule of threes. The staircase and its refreshing blankness. The wall space crafted and lit under the stairs. The actual desk space. All divided by clean lines.
The moulding on the upper center gives this window collection a classic center, offset by the brilliant dark frame around the two outer windows. The bookshelf below gives the perfect weight and balance to the entire structure.
Pictures put in threes give a balance to the wall space as seen here. Two of the same object simply means two. Three (or more) of the same kind of object instantly means: collection.
Three varying elements of this room create a look of three. The open doorway to the left. The wall of work space at the back. And the left-hand wall filled with books. Note how the weight of the room crescendos to the bookshelves, drawing the energy from the entrance to the base of the room.
This already clean looking piece becomes a visual center and base for the room when surrounded by the matching substantial mirrors.
The rule of threes obviously need not be horizontal. The ceiling, the wall of windows, and the furniture immediately below divide the room into a clean vertical set of three.
The blond shelving, the desk, and the chair balance each other as neutrals in the color and detail of this desk space.
